THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL (11): Final Restoration

 

We have been studying how Israel’s family (the House of Jacob), the twelve tribes of Israel, were divided into two kingdoms: Israel (the 10 Northern Tribes) and Judah (two tribes and the Levites). The House of Jacob has been divided for centuries, to the point that they no longer recognize themselves as brothers. However, this separation will not last forever.

Jeremiah prophesied about both families from the House of Jacob…

(Jeremiah 33:23-26)  The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:  (24)  "Have you not observed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose'? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight.  (25)  Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth,  (26)  then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them."

(Jeremiah 23:3-6)  Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.  (4)  I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.  (5)  "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  (6)  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Also the prophet Ezekiel received divine revelation about the restoration of both houses of Israel. Chapter 37 is crucial in order to understand this. This chapter begins with the prophet describing a vision he had of a valley filled with dried bones.

Some have interpreted those bones to represent the Jewish people. However, it is clearly specified in the text that it is the “House of Israel”.

(Ezekiel 37:11-14)  Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.'  (12)  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.  (13)  And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.  (14)  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

Following this, Ezekiel received a revelation of the restoration of the union between Judah and Ephraim.

(Ezekiel 37:15-23)  The word of the LORD came to me:  (16)  "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.'  (17)  And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.  (18)  And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'  (19)  say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand.  (20)  When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes,  (21)  then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.  (22)  And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.  (23)  They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Hosea also received the same revelation. He writes:

(Hosea 1:11)   And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

ONE PEOPLE

God has revealed through the prophet Isaiah that He has not forgotten about Ephraim and Judah. Even though they have been dispersed He will gather a remnant. He will make them one and will bring them back to the Land He chose.

(Isaiah 11:11-13)  In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.  (12)  He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.  (13)  The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.

Historically, there has been constant conflict between both brothers: Ephraim (the gentiles) and Judah (the Jewish people). However, God will heal this hostility and jealousy. Perhaps they may not recognize each other now, but they will. Just like Joseph recognized his brothers when they came into Egypt looking for food and he was the governor. At first only Joseph recognized them, he later made himself known to them. This is a shadow of what will happen to the House of Ephraim and the House of Judah in the last days.

The apostle Paul wrote:
(Ephesians 2:11-22) Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands--  (12)  remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  (13)  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  (14)  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility  (15)  by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,  (16)  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.  (17)  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.  (18)  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  (19)  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  (20)  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,  (21)  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  (22)  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

When Ephraim’s descendants recognize that they are a part of the physical Israel, then the conflict among brothers will cease, the conflict between Ephraim and Judah. When Ephraim’s descendants recognize their true identity, then they will begin to conduct themselves as true Israelites. They will no longer envy the Jewish people. There will also come a time when the Jews will recognize their brother Ephraim.

Caiaphas himself, the High Priest in Jerusalem the year when Jesus was crucified, prophesied about the role the Messiah would play in the redemption of the whole house of Israel. This is how John explained it:

(John 11:49-52)  But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all.  (50)  Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."  (51)  He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,  (52)  and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Jesus will come to break down the wall of separation between the two houses of Israel. The religious spirit will fall away from some and paganism from others, and they will be rejoined as one people. Division will cease. There will be just ONE PEOPLE of Israel with ONE GOD, ONE MESSIAH and ONE TORAH. Both houses must follow the same divine plan in order to obtain the full restoration of Israel.

The restoration of Israel will be in the context of the New Covenant. But, what is this New Covenant that the Everlasting God will make with Israel and Judah?
(Jeremiah 31:31-34)  "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,  (32)  not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.  (33)  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (34)  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Neither Judah nor Israel (Ephraim) has been able to keep all of God’s law. "None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). However, God will help us live under the order He has established by writing His Law in our hearts. It will become natural for us to obey. The New Covenant does not mean there is a new law, but rather, there is a new place where it is written.

(Ezekiel 36:24-28)  I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.  (25)  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  (26)  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  (27)  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  (28)  You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Our Eternal Father will join both Houses. They will no longer be two peoples, but ONE. Both the children of Israel (Ephraim) and the children of Judah (the Jewish people) will leave their own ways and will turn back to God Almighty and will seek the “ancient roads” that lead to Zion.

(Jeremiah 50:4-5)  "In those days and in that time, declares the LORD, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the LORD their God.  (5)  They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, 'Come, let us join ourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.'